So I started writing a comment on M1EK’s analysis of the light rail plan, but it got to long, so I’m posting it here.

Riverside makes a lot of sense for the first rail route because it’s low hanging fruit.

1. There’s plenty of space in the median to run rail lines. Probably the least disruption on this route of any major road in Austin. There just isn’t another road with as much traffic, and as much space to put rails.